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Six Dreamcast Games That Demand A Modern Sequel
In the grand scheme of gaming history, the Sega Dreamcast was barely a blip on the radar. Sega's ill–fated console was never the most popular system on the market, and was only officially on store shelves for about a year-and-a-half. Even so, the Dreamcast produced a small number of gaming gems that many of today's fervent gamers might not be familiar with. Now is the time to resurrect these franchises.
Many Dreamcast titles like Samba de Amigo, Typing of the Dead, Crazy Taxi, and Resident Evil Code: Veronica eventually migrated over to other consoles, but the Dreamcast's library hasn't been completely strip-mined. Here are our top picks for games that should get another sequel on modern consoles.
6. Power Stone
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Most fighting games drop two opponents on opposite sides of the screen and then have them punch and kick each other using a series of button combos. That system works fine, but we don’t think most brawls play out anything like that. This is why we appreciate Power Stone’s hectic beat downs, which allow you to use tables, chairs, and rocks as weapons in epic 4-player slugfests. During these battles, players struggle to nab power stones that give their character an extra leg up in battle. This was one of the best party games on the Dreamcast, and given the popularity of Super Smash Bros., we’re a little surprised that Capcom hasn’t tapped this chaotic 4-player brawler for a reboot.
5. Chu Chu Rocket
Chu Chu Rocket’s offbeat structure harkens back to the zany, anything goes mentality of the ’80s arcade. Players dropped arrows onto a game board in order to redirect mice towards rocket ships, while avoiding bottomless pits and the hungry jaws of roaming cats. The game played a lot like a mobile game before the devices really existed, so it's not surprising that in 2010 the game was adapted for iOS (and a year later for Android). However, one of Chu Chu Rocket’s greatest strengths was its frantic multiplayer mode, which shines better on console, so we hope that Sega does the right thing and gives us a downloadable console-friendly sequel.
4. Jet Set Radio
Jet Set Radio’s graphical style holds up surprisingly well, which is largely thanks to its then innovative cel-shaded visuals. Part Tony Hawk, part open world adventure title, Jet Set Radio threw in-line skates on players and had them motoring through a futuristic Japanese cityscape. Here they painted the landscape with graffiti and rebelled against an oppressive government and a series of rival gangs. The game received Xbox and GBA sequels as well as an HD remake in 2012, but we also see Jet Set’s spirit alive in Sunset Overdrive’s (another game you should play) massive open-world traversal mechanics. It would be a true shame if such an innovative and unique title never received another sequel.
3. Grandia II
Grandia actually received a number of sequels, but none of them hold a candle to this epic Dreamcast RPG, which focuses on a sarcastic mercenary who takes a job to protect a group of people as they attempt to reseal an ancient evil god. When the resealing gets botched, players are launched into a epic quest to save the world. Grandia II’s dynamic battle system allows players to move their characters around the field while their attacks charged. Well-timed attacks could also cancel out enemies' moves and allow your party to steamroll through dungeons. It’s unfortunate that the sequels have failed to capture the magic of this Dreamcast classic. A Japanese MMO called Grandia Online finally shut down in 2012, so this franchise is ripe for a revival.
2. Shenmue
Actually, never mind.
1. Skies of Arcadia
Skies of Arcadia is a bit of a mystery. It's one of the Dreamcast’s most popular titles, garnering rave reviews and a massive amount of fan praise. It was was even re-released on the Nintendo GameCube a few years later. Despite all this, it never got a sequel! This stellar turn-based RPG followed a group of air pirates as they explored a giant world to stop an evil Empress from taking over it. One of the best parts of the game were the epic ship-to-ship battles, which we haven’t seen emulated in many other games. It’s a true shame that Skies of Arcadia has disappeared from our gaming landscape altogether, but we hope to see it rise from the ashes someday.
Learn how the original Xbox was almost designed to play Dreamcast titles and more fun facts in this Did You Know Gaming video.
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